Who was Roy?
Roy was a royal scribe and steward at the estate of King Horemheb and the Temple of Amun. His wife Nebtawy was a chantress to Amun, but the couple seems to have had no children, as no scenes of family members have been found.
Tomb TT 255
TT 255 is the private tomb of Roy and belongs to the late 18th and early 19th dynasties. TT 255 is in a region known as Dra' Abu al-Naja at the west bank of Luxor in the Theban Necropolis. The tomb is one of two recently opened to the public. It is smaller and possesses just one chamber, including a burial shaft leading into an open courtyard. TT 255 faces southeast and has a rough surface with rounded corners. The wall drawings have been made of thin mortar, which has helped fill up the irregularities in the ceiling and the walls. It is one of the so-called "Tombs of the Nobles."
Decorations Inside Roy's Tomb
Despite its small size, the tomb's ceiling is beautifully decorated with geometric patterns. The pattern consists of polychromic rectangles combined with tiny floral designs. The height of the ceiling is low compared to that of an average person. The hieroglyphs are black and done on a white or yellow gold base. The columns on this are separated by thick red vertical lines drawn. Other decorations are depicted in an informal style and are sketches that seem to have been drawn rapidly and are thus less idealized when compared to other private tombs in the area.
The front wall of the tomb has four registers. Also, the Book of Gates scenes are found on the left wall. A depiction showing Roy's funeral procession is also present. This decoration features fine, minute details. An interesting fact is the many red-painted columns in the tomb without any text. It's believed that Roy had a sudden death, because of which the decoration must have been stopped in between. Another finding was a statue of Roy kneeling with a stele, now situated at the Metropolitan Museum in New York.
A wall painting features Roy's relatives and friends in his funeral convoy making gestures of mourning. One of the mourners, probably older, has a grey wig on.
Bottom Line
TT 255 is an exciting specimen among the Tombs of the Nobles. The ceiling's low height provides a challenge even for tourists with an average height, where banging heads result in the plaster of the roof coming off very quickly. Nonetheless, it is one of the most beautiful graves in the Tombs of the Nobles, with beautiful scenes and colors that continue to wow tourists today.
